If you’ve ever walked out of a meeting with your Accountant thinking, “Well, that didn’t help me make any decisions,” you’re not alone.
Too many business owners treat accounting as a necessary evil – something you HAVE TO do once a year to keep the ATO happy.
However, consider this…
What if your accountant could be one of your most valuable business advisors?
What if they could help you make better decisions, not just record what’s already happened?
What should your Accountant be doing instead?
At LMS Advisory, we believe that the best accounting relationships are rooted in strategy, not just compliance. We look at your business through three critical lenses: past, present and future.
It’s a simple framework, but when done right, it can completely change how you run – and grow – your business.
Holistic business growth is possible with a three-tiered approach that factors in your business’ past, present and future.
Let’s explore how this works.
Does your Accountant look at your business’ PAST to set up FOUNDATIONS?
Let’s be clear: your past financials matter.
Clean records, reconciliations and compliant tax returns are JUST the baseline. So, stopping right there? That’s where many accountants fall short.
The past tells a story – if you (or your Accountant) know how to read it. It’s not just about “you made this much profit last year”. It’s about where that money actually went.
One of the most common questions we hear is:
“I made a profit, but where is it? Why isn’t it in my bank account?”
That’s not just a question of accounting – it’s a prompt for analysis. Are you:
- overspending?
- carrying legacy debts?
- paying dividends without a safety buffer?
A reliable business Accountant (and/or advisor) digs deeper to answer these questions about the past and help you make sense of them.
Looking at past financials also means spotting trends, challenges and missed opportunities.
- Are your margins shrinking?
- Has overhead crept up over time?
- Have tax issues gone unaddressed?
And what happens when you spot a problem? We believe it’s not enough to say, “Here’s the issue.” There needs to be an action plan.
The past can be a powerful foundation. But only if you’re working with someone who can interpret it – and do something about it.
Does your Accountant focus on the PRESENT to identify key business INSIGHTS?
Now, let’s talk about the here and now.
Data today, especially in the context of accounting, is instant. However, in many businesses, financial visibility is still delayed. By the time the numbers come in, the moment to act has already passed.
That’s why you need an Accountant who focuses on real-time financial insights.
Whether it’s cloud accounting dashboards, reconciled monthly files or custom reports, the goal is to give you up-to-date, decision-ready data.
Because the truth is: business owners like you are already making decisions every day – you just might not have the right financial context behind these decisions. You might be setting prices, hiring team members or negotiating with suppliers, without fully understanding the implications of cashflow.
But real-time data isn’t just about speed. It’s about translation. A spreadsheet full of numbers doesn’t mean anything if you don’t know what to look for.
You need to know what your numerical data truly means for your business, so you can make informed, confident business decisions.
Does your Accountant consider the FUTURE to map a clear STRATEGY for your business?
This is the part most accountants never touch. But this is where an “Accountant” becomes an “Advisor”.
The future is where strategy lives. It’s where goals get mapped, options are explored and the business starts working for you, not the other way around.
Is your Accountant asking you the following questions?
- What do you want your business to achieve in the next 3–5 years?
- Do you want to buy property? Expand your team? Exit or retire?
- Are you planning for succession, sale or investment?
Future-focused accounting is about aligning your financial strategy with your business AND personal ambitions.
With the right Accountant, you can build the right plans for what’s ahead – whether that’s an annual budget, a cashflow forecast or a five-year roadmap. But it’s not just documentation. It’s about timing, coordination and execution.
For example, if you want to apply for finance next year, your books need to be telling the right story now.
A business-minded Accountant works behind the scenes to ensure your numbers are designed to support powerful business decisions aimed at your goals.
But why do you need your Accountant to do all these things?
Because ambitious businesses need more than just accounting, they need business enablement.
Many business owners stick with reactive, tax-focused accountants simply because they don’t know there’s a better way.
But when your Accountant acts as a true strategic business advisor, you gain clarity, confidence and control over your financial future.
The right advisor won’t just tell you what happened. They’ll help you understand what’s happening now – and what’s coming next. That kind of foresight often pays for itself many times over.
So… is your Accountant helping you plan for the future – or just reporting on the past?
At LMS Advisory, we operate across all three tiers: past, present and future.
We’re not just number crunchers or compliance box-tickers. We’re your holistic accounting firm, your strategic partner and your guide to real, empowered business growth.
If you’re looking for a holistic way to empower business growth, speak to our team at LMS Advisory today.
